Belize at Caribbean Week in New York City

Karen Bevans

Tourism officials, industry executives, the media, the Caribbean Diaspora, as well as travel agents and consumers are converging on New York City for Caribbean Week 2017. While there they will participate in an itinerary that showcases the best of Caribbean tourism. The event which is organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization brings together business and consumer-related events with food, fashion, entertainment and sales and networking opportunities. Representing Belize are Director of Tourism Karen Bevans and Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia Jr. According to Bevans, it creates awareness of different product offerings and highlights their appeal through business development opportunities.

Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism, B.T.B.

“The Caribbean Tourism Organization holds Caribbean Week every first week in June in New York and we’re heading to that. As a representative of the board on the Caribbean Tourism Organization, we have board meetings. The minister will also be there with me. We have ministerial meetings as well and together we help to build the industry in the Caribbean. Similarly, we have five flights going to the Caribbean today, all that type of thing we discuss at these meetings and try to build the Caribbean as a growing tourism destination.”

Manuel Heredia Jr.

Isani Cayetano

“Now in terms of other developments within the local tourism industry, what can you share with us of late?”

Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism

“Well in the tourism industry, if you look around the whole country you can see other hotels, other tourism activities happening and likewise in civil aviation. You saw the municipal airstrip and you will shortly be seeing the Caye Caulker municipal airstrip also being upgraded. It has to be closed for at least nine months, but once completed it will have lights, it will be hot mixed and then we’ll move to Placencia, making sure that all our municipal airstrips are at least to the minimal safety standards.”

Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.